The invention relates to a folding top for a convertible vehicle.
In known convertibles of this type (such as described in German Patent Publication No. DE 44 41 668 C1), a folding top is provided having a flexible roof skin which is connected with rod linkage legs of the folding top frame. The roof skin is detachably fixed to the rear rod linkage leg in order to avoid overspreading during the opening and closing movements of the folding top and, in the closed position, the roof skin is fixed by a tensioning rope in the region of the rod linkage leg. During movement into the respective opening or closing position, it is cumbersome to control the tensioning rope and, in the event of a conceivable fatigue of the tensioning rope, a passage between the tensioning rope and the rod linkage leg into the passenger space is often formed.
The present invention is concerned with the problem of creating a folding top for a convertible vehicle having a roof skin which is held in the region of a rod linkage leg and can be shifted without fatigue with the folding top frame, this shifting taking place without overstressing the roof skin. The invention also makes it possible to provide optimum coverage of four-seated passenger spaces.
Generally, the folding top in accordance with the invention includes a rod linkage leg on each side of the folding top and a respective frame section. The frame section includes a first component which holds the material of the roof skin and a second component which is attached to a part of the rod linkage leg. The second component is movable relative to the first component so that the roof skin is movable relative to the rod linkage leg. In this manner, extreme stresses are not imparted to the roof skin during movement of the rod linkage legs.
More specifically, in the region of its roof skin connection to the folding frame, the folding top in accordance with the invention is provided with connecting units, which lie opposite one another in pairs at the folding top frame and are formed in each case by one of the rod linkage legs and a frame section, connected with the roof skin. The parts of the connecting unit are coupled over a restricted guidance in such a manner that relative movement between the region of the roof skin, held and connected to the frame section at the lateral edges, and the associated rod linkage leg is possible. The folding top, especially a flexible roof skin, permanently connected with the folding top frame or the respective frame section, can be moved during an opening or closing motion of the folding top frame in such a manner that movement and folding of the folding top which is gentle to the material and does not overstress it is achieved and, at the same time, even covers larger passenger spaces, such as a four-seater car, can be moved optimally.
Further details and advantageous effects of the invention arise out of the following description and the drawings, in which an example of the object of the invention is shown in greater detail.